Domestic Dork

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:38:38 GMT

Must go to bed to get a nap before the kids come home, but I'm going to try to start using this journal again. My life is in a very different place now. I'm working full-time, my husband is back in school, but I really need a place to focus.

Take nap (since I signed up for extra 3rd shift tonight)
Wash DH coat
Wash DS bedding
Wash scrubs
Make supper/clean up immediately after - DH did, yay!
Supervise homework/kid chores
Choose and pay at least 3 medical bills
Send out other bills
File bills/mail that are completed
Shovel deck and bring wood in for fireplace
Shower/dressed/make-up
Take out trash
refill soap
Pack lunch
Go to work!

It's going to be a long night, but I think I can get it all done. :D
But first things first...nap.

Another slow start

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:50:29 GMT

I hope I can do as well with my list today as I did yesterday. *gold stars*

The List

Showered, dressed, make-up, hair
Empty Dishwasher
Clean off kitchen table/counters, do dishes
Swish and swipe and sweep bathroom
Make bed
Eat Lunch
Bring up garbage cans
Shine sink
Replentish paper supplies
Sweep kitchen
Make grocery list/menu
Grocery shopping
1 load of laundry done (1/2 done!)
Hot spots x2
Book shelf (school) rescue x5 minutes
Paper patrol
~~Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures~~

Daily Do

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 19:38:43 GMT

I was sick this morning with my dear husband's cold (from hell!) and didn't sleep hardly at all last night, so I slept ALL MORNING LONG *cough*and into the afternoon*cough*. I feel better now, so I'm still going to try to salvage this day. :D

the list

make bed
empty dishwasher, reload
clean kitchen counters & table
shine sink
garbage out to curb
eat lunch
showered, dressed, make-up
swish and swipe bathroom
1 load of laundry (DD) (1/2 done!)
5 minute room rescue (bedroom)
5 minute room rescue (living room)
balance checkbook
hot spot clean-up

Christmas

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 21:21:55 GMT

Christmas has come and gone. One of the best presents that I got was when I found out that I got straight A's this semester when I thought I had B's in two of my classes. Very exciting! I got all kinds of goodies...
from husband, cuz I'm spoiled like that. I scored a ton of gift certificates for Victoria's Secret and various clothing stores in the mall. I told husband that I mainly wanted stuff for Christmas to help me get ready to start my new career in nursing since I'm graduating in May and plan on starting my job search any day now. So he got me the gift certificates for interveiw clothing, he also bought me fancy resume paper, and a leather portfolio for my resume and recommendation letters. I love it all. Of course he threw in a few just-for-fun presents too like John Mayer's "Continuum" CD, and The Fray's "How to Save a Life" CD and some champagne. I also got a new computer chair which I needed, although I received it before Christmas. So comfy, especially with the Shiatsu massage cushion on it! I received a ton of other stuff from the rest of the family too, but don't want to babble too much about all that good stuff.

The kids got spoiled too. Mostly everything on their Christmas lists was gotten, and I made sure to take them to Toys 'R Us to buy some toys for the Toys for Tots box, which DD loved doing, but DS (who's 6) didn't really get the concept.

I spoiled husband almost as much as he spoiled me this year by standing in line for many hours to get him his Wii system that he wanted. He didn't expect it because of how hard they are to get and to see his face when he opened it made my entire Christmas bright. I also got him games and accessories for it and a new Sirius radio for his car since he's starting his new job on January 15th which will require a lot of travelling via car.

We spent Christmas at mother-in-law's home and it was really a great Christmas. Hope everyone else had a good holiday too!

Daily Do

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 17:51:01 GMT

Unload dishwasher
Fill out and get ready rebates to send out (x3)
27 Fling Boogie the Living Room
Vacuum the living room
Sweep Kitchen
Call in prescription refills
~~Hot spots x2~~
Get cell phones/PDA listed on eBay
Balance checkbook
Do Dishes
2 loads laundry (washed, dried, folded, put away)
~~Feed/Water cats~~

The kids are on vacation right now and starting to drive me a little crazy. I get that they want to play all day, (don't we all?) but I can't stand when they won't even brush their teeth without a fight because it interrupts play time. They're old enough to understand why they need to do those things and I hate having to be a nag! Grrr! *deep breaths* Just needed to vent. I feel better now.

Done, done, and done!

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:09:44 GMT

My exams are done. My dishes are all done. My laundry is all done. My bills are all mailed out and the checkbook balanced. My Christmas shopping is all done. I feel so liberated. I called my friends and went out to lunch with one of them today and just had fun! I hung out with the kids tonight and just enjoyed them. What an awesome feeling!

Finals Week!

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:50:32 GMT

Studying like crazy. I feel like my brain is going to squish out of my ears if I try to shove any more boring information in there! :) On the bright side, only two more tests until I'm done with school for a whole month. Yay!

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 16:00:09 GMT

It's Christmas tree day. I love the place that we go to get our tree. They have a sleigh drawn by horses through the snow to where the trees are, then you get to cut down the tree you want so it's super fresh and good smelling. It's just a guy who grows trees on his large country lot, and he's super nice and always gives the kids a Christmas coloring book and crayons. They love it. I'm very excited.

But before we get the tree...

Showered, dressed, make-up (as soon as I get the hot water back! Darn laundry!)
Wash DS bedding and stuffed animals
Finish folding kids laundry and put away
Wash all throw rugs
Empty dishwasher
Do dishes
Sweep kitchen
15 minutes clearing paper clutter
Read one chapter for Tuesday Final
Menu & Grocery list made including christmas cookies
Clear entryway of shoes/books/etc.
Make spot in LR for tree
Grocery shopping done

She's back.

Sat, 09 Dec 2006 18:59:41 GMT

I really need to find my motivation. I lost it somewhere around March 2006 and haven't seen it since. Really.

So, in an effort to get my home and life back on track, I figure writing down some goals would be a good place to start. I'm thinking small for starters; I'll work my way up. It's gonna be a long climb.

empty dishwasher
clean off kitchen counters and table
Laundy for me and hubby done and put away
Kids laundry started
Kitchen swept and mopped
Christmas gift list completed
Christmas shopping tonight
15 minutes clearing paper clutter
Read one chapter for Tuesday Final
Menu & Grocery list made including christmas cookies

I'm going to beat this dreary funk that I've been in. Christmas is coming, semester's almost done; happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts! :D

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 16:15:11 GMT

I'm still enjoying my streak of motivation. I've gotten so much done in the last half a week. I swear, I'm starting to think this is a hormonal thing. My cleaning desire is almost directly linked to what time of the month it is. Does anyone else have this happen, or is it just me, or is this just entirely TMI? LOL.

I'm not going to post a list today because I finally got my control journal done! I have a page with all my routines to print out for every day of the week. It works for me cuz I like to start out the day with a checklist and I can see my progress. The only thing left to do is put it in a binder which I will do today. :D

I used Freecycle for the first time today. I'm a bit nervous about it, so wish me luck! I have a huge antique upright piano that I just don't love. It's a pain to dust all the time and it doesn't match my living room, it's too big for me to move so I can't clean behind it, and it's just rather ugly. So that's my major fling for today in my Living Room since I really don't have knick-knacks or much clutter there. I should post those pounds at the flylady site once I get rid of it (hopefully I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch!). It's got to be at least 300 pounds!

Oh, and I uploaded a Queer as Folk moodtheme made by raelala today as well! teh_del showed me instructions on how to make one so that it's free! So, yay for that!

Well, time to start lunch! I'm hoping that everyone's doing well!

[Mood| Accomplished ]

when motivation strikes!

Fri, 22 Jul 2005 14:38:00 GMT

I'm going to be online only long enough to post this entry today, because I'm feeling strangely motivated today, and I plan on taking full advantage of it.

Shower, dressed, make-up, hair, shoes
Make beds
Fill out rebate form & mail out
Fill out CPR registration & mail out
empty dishwasher and refill
fold DS laundry and put away
One additional load of laundry completed
Quick clean bathroom
Clean out Bedroom closet (15 minute incriments)
Load up car with donations to Salvation Army
Sweep/Mop kitchen and bathroom - I BROKE MY BROOM! better luck tomorrow!
Vacuum middles in Living room and hallway
Make grocery list
Hot Spot
Put all shoes away

I WILL GET THIS ALL DONE!!!

And as a reward, my DH and I are going out on a date tonight. Dinner and a Movie. We haven't decided on a movie yet, it'll probably be Fantastic Four or Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

What would you do?

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 16:17:04 GMT

I'm finding myself with a dilemma. See, my regular babysitter recently quit, due to getting a part-time job so I found this other girl as her replacement. We'll call her Suzy. Suzy is well liked by my children and has always shown up when she has said she would, however, she is horrible about returning phone calls, seems busy a lot, has a hard time comitting to a job immediately (like when I ask, 'can you come over Saturday night at 7?' She'll say 'I'm not sure right now. Can I call you back?'), and waits until the very last minute to show up when babysitting.
So anyway, the problem is that Suzy went away for 2 months this summer, recommending a friend of hers to me for while she was gone. Well, of course her friend is wonderful. She's always available, eager for the job, shows up early, my kids like her as well, she even painted my daughter a picture for her birthday on a canvas after only sitting for us twice.
The problem is that Suzy is coming back soon from vacation, and although I hired her as my sitter, I really like her friend better. With them being friends, I don't want to create an animosity between them. I don't really know what to do. Should I just use Suzy when she's available and continue to use her friend as a back -up? Should I use Suzy's friend exclusively? If so, how do I break this to them?

Make daily routines for control journal
Shopping - groceries/household
Photocopies at post office
Clean out laundry room
Finish 3 loads of laundry (washed, folded, put away)
Make Beds
Kitchen Clean/Sanitized
Vacuum basement
Clean bathrooms

Hopefully I'll be able to catch up a little today, now that I've finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I'm reading it again with my daughter, but of course not with the same hurried, determination as the first time through. :D This time's for savoring.

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 19:11:06 GMT

Yay! I just taught my son how to ride his bike without training wheels. :D And now I think I have heat stroke from running up and down my street for a half and hour in 90 degree humid weather with full-length jeans on, but Yay! Bike! Oh, and I pulled weeds for about 15 minutes too! My goal was 5 minutes, but as usual once I got going, I had to just finish the area that I was working on. My entire front yard is weeded.

I'm seriously shaking and beet red. I'm going to go drink some water and sit in front of the fan for awhile.

I'm back.

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 13:56:06 GMT

Ugh, I've been so incredibly lazy lately. I got back on track yesterday and I'm hoping today I can stick by the routines. It's so hard in the summer to stay motivated!

Grocery shopping
Took kids to library
Paid Bills
Laundry (3 loads folded/put away)
Kitchen cleaned/sink shined
Boogied Refridgerator
Supper in crockpot early
15 minutes cleaning out bathroom drawers/cabinets
5 minutes bathroom scrubbing
1 hour cleaning out basement storage area, sending 2 full garbage bags out to the curb. Yay!
Took all garbage out of the house for garbage day
Read to kids

~~Showered/Dressed/Make-up (it should be done already, bad me)~~
Wash bedding/make beds
2 loads of laundry
make menu/grocery list for next week
Vacuum living room
Clean ceiling fan/scrub bathtub
Clear off hot spot completely (breakfast bar)
5 minute room rescue (Master Bedroom)
5 minutes pulling weeds (Oh, how I loathe doing this!)
Read to kids I tried, but the ADHD won out today. Oh, well, we learned to ride the big bike instead.

anti-procrastination project-
Call for prescription refill
Make appointment at ACL

I will get the list all done today! Yesterday's thunderstorms left the house feeling reasonably cool and refreshing for once and I want to feel that accomplishment that I felt yesterday, not the lazy, guilty feeling I felt the days before that. I think I'm gonna try the camp thing next week with the kids and see how it goes. I was in lazy/depressed mode on Monday and Tuesday when the whole thing started. I think it would be good for the kids as well as myself though. They're getting bored with summer too! Well, off to get dressed and ready for the day. Wish me luck!

Food Presentation

Fri, 08 Jul 2005 01:28:23 GMT

I feel kinda stupid posting this, but I'm looking for constructive criticism so I figured here would be a good place to start. I'm too scared to post this on any of the cooking/food LJs; I don't know which ones are newbie friendly and I'm not ready to be eaten alive just yet. If anyone knows of any communities where I could get relatively constuctive feedback, feel free to let me know.

Anyway, I've never tried to make a big deal out of food presentation before, but tonight I tried just for the hell of it. So, I made up a crazy chicken and bell pepper recipe (which needs tweaking), but I was hoping that anyone who wanted to give their opinions on the presentation could do so here.

The sliced chicken breast is served on top of a green pepper and basil sauce with sauteed red peppers and rosemary topping. The green pepper sauce didn't turn out exactly as I wanted it. I thought it would be a richer green and a smoother consistency. But it was my first try with this type of thing. I'm going to try to fix that next time I make it.

So what I'm wondering is...
* Which one do you like best?
* Would you have done anything differently?
* In your opinion, how could this be improved?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Wed, 06 Jul 2005 13:42:56 GMT

Anti-Procrastination Day indeed. Oh how I loathe paperwork and phone calls.

~~Finish all paperwork for kids school~~
Finish all paperwork for my school
Make appointments for dr., dentist, bloodwork for school
Go through all bills/important papers and file
Fill out W-4 form for DH work

Daily Mission (under sink cleaning)
15 minutes other kitchen cleaning/decluttering
1 load of laundry (washed/folded/put away)
5 minute room rescue (living room)
Bathroom quick clean
Exercise
Read with kids 15 minutes each

My head is still achy. I think it's time to break out the cold and sinus medication.

Bananas Foster

Tue, 05 Jul 2005 15:30:08 GMT

I had a bunch of bananas that were getting kinda ripe. Usually I just make banana bread or something like that to use them up, but in this heat, who wants to turn on the oven for that long?

So I found this recipe for bananas. It is absolutely delicious, and the best part...served over ice cream! Perfect for summer. Plus ultra fun, cuz flambe!

Bananas Foster
1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
2-3 bananas (2 largish or 3 smallish)
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. rum
1/4 c. banana liqueur

(if you don't have banana liquor, nearly any schnapps, flavored rum, juice, or extract that you wish to use would do.) I used a vanilla spiced rum in place of it. Others reported using Orange juice for the liquid instead of rum/liquor (reducing the amount by about half would probably work, since it's not being burned off.)

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar and cinnamon and heat until bubbly. Peel and quarter the banana. Place banana pieces and lemon juice in skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, basting with syrup.

2. In a long-handled pan, heat rum and banana liqueur over medium heat until just warm. Ignite the alcohol and pour carefully over the banana slices. Remove the banana pan from the heat and continue to baste the banana slices with their sauce until the flames die down. Serve at once.

Recipe taken, and altered slightly, from Allrecipes.com. It was so fabulous the first day. Although slightly less fabulous as leftovers. We had it as a pancake topping as well as an ice cream topping. Yummy on both. Let me know how it went over if you use it! I plan on posting more recipes this month and would like some feedback on what people enjoy. :D

I am not behind....really, I'm not.

Tue, 05 Jul 2005 14:15:05 GMT

I love it when the weekly zone is the kitchen. I love cleaning the kitchen. Except for doing dishes, ick! To me, it is just so noticeable when I've really cleaned the kitchen and not so much the other rooms. Maybe it's because I spend so much time in my kitchen. I don't know. It's the first room I clean at work too, beginning with shining the sink. People think I'm so neurotic. Okay, so they're kinda right.

I'm trying not to feel really behind after a week of VBS, and general slacking off due to the extreme heat wave. I'm really trying.

Since the new habit for June is to get to bed on time, I think I'm going to make my own new habit. Realistically, going to bed on time is never going to work for me. I work 3rd shift 2 days a week. During the school year, I have exams and homework that needs done whether or not I get enough sleep. So I think my habit I want to adopt this month is to read to my kids every day. (or some actvity that involves learning) My son is beginning Kindergarten in the fall and still really doesn't care for books, so I'd love to spend some time trying to spark his interest in them. Perhaps even trying to get him to recognize a few basic words and spend some time practicing letter sounds. (since he already writes and recognizes letters) Hopefully, he's willing to give this a shot.

I have a sinus infection which sucks. I'm trying to nurse myself better without a trip to the doctor. So far, I'm using mega doses of Zinc (because I feel like I'm also coming down with a cold), lots and lots of water, allergy meds to reduce some of the "drainage", and advil and heat compresses for the throbbing pain. Does anyone have any other methods or at home remedies? I don't believe in using antibiotics unless it becomes absolutely necessary.

Mission #1 Kitchen
Mission #2 Kitchen
Empty dishwasher
3 loads of laundry (washed, folded, put away)
Hot Spot cleaning
Make beds
10 minutes dusting
Finish "The DaVinci Code"
5 minutes Bathroom cleaning upstairs
5 minutes Bathroom cleaning downstairs
5 minute room rescue Master Bedroom
Buy Milk & new mop
Read with kids 15 minutes (x2)
Make menu for rest of the week
15 minutes going through paperwork (doing what needs done, pitching everything else)
Exercise 15 minutes

Mon, 27 Jun 2005 12:05:29 GMT

I'm teaching VBS this week. I think that next year I'm taking the year off, because honestly my pastor is driving me NUTS! He makes me look like Organizer of the Year, which is entirely sad. He didn't even get me the music until 2 days ago, and I'm the music director. Grrrr. Sorry. Had to rant. I'm running out the door.

Laundry (finished, folded, put away)
Bathroom quick clean
beds made
15 minutes in kitchen
1/2 of the things for the home blessing hour

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 14:34:36 GMT

Do ya ever get so hungry for something completely random, and you know you just won't be able to forget about it until you've had some? I am sooooo hungry for TGI Friday's Spinach Artichoke Dip! ...and Rice Crispy Bars for some reason. I found a recipe for the Spinach Artichoke Dip that sounds pretty similar and I think I'm going to make it tomorrow after I go grocery shopping using lower fat/calorie versions of the ingredients. Yum! Wish me luck! If it turns out, I'll be sure to share the recipe.

~~Shower, dressed, make-up, shoes (yeah, I'm online before getting ready, bad me.)~~
Clean kitchen floors
15 minute kitchen clean
~~hot spots~~
learn VBS music
Make grocery list
15 minutes decluttering papers
Bathroom Quick Clean
15 minutes decluttering desk shelves
~~Make bed~~
Exercise 15 minutes
15 minutes Master Bedroom, cleaning/decluttering

I did well on my diet yesterday. I ate pretty healthy, 'cept for the ice cream sundae I had when DH took us all out for ice cream. But other than that I had Special K for breakfast, French onion soup for lunch, baked boneless skinless chicken breasts in white wine, steamed broccoli, and wild rice for supper. Hopefully I can keep it up today, along with the exercise.

My DD friend is coming over in a half an hour so I better go get working on #1 on my to do list!

P.S. Remind me NEVER to use the Rich Text Mode again!

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 15:32:44 GMT

I'm back!

Unpack
Exercise 15 minutes
Go through e-mails
Clean kitchen 15 minutes
Organize computer desk drawers
~~Get VBS music info~~
Vacuum Living Room
Wash DS bedding
Steam clean DS carpet
Make Bed

Bathroom is remodeled. I love it so much, just a few minor tweeks before it's done. It's a soft peach sherbet color with the brightest tangerine gloss color eva sponged over the top, with navy blue accents. It's much more daring than my usual style, but it's a small bathroom with no windows, so I figured bright and bold could work for it. My hubby worked extra hard at it while I was gone and did pretty much all the work himself. What a darling! I sexed him up good and proper for it too! Oh, and brought home beer and cheese from Wisconsin. I know what he likes. LOL.

Hope everyone had a good week. I'm going to try to jump in and not feel behind today. I'm not even sure what zone we're in this week, but I'm gonna try to do all the daily missions between today and tomorrow. We'll see if I get them done. *crosses fingers*

Tue, 14 Jun 2005 17:56:02 GMT

I'm going on vacation tomorrow, so I won't be around for about a week.

Pick up prescriptions
Do all laundry
Make list and start packing
Fill up car and check oil
Buy wine for parents
Clean out fridge
Wash cooler/make a block of ice

Everyone take care and have a good week!

the mood says it all

Fri, 10 Jun 2005 16:41:29 GMT

It almost feels too hot to do anything. But something is better than nothing I suppose.

2 loads of laundry
Make phone calls
Pack for camping
Sweep kitchen
Vacuum Living room
Clean off kitchen counters & under sink (15 min)
5 minute room rescue (bedroom)

I seriously need some form of air conditioning. It's so stagnant and hot in my house. Even with all the windows open there isn't a single breeze. Ick. The thought of turning on my oven makes me want to cry. *le sigh* Maybe we could all just move into the basement until the fall.

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 13:29:09 GMT

Wow. My allergies are so bad today I can hardly keep my eyes open. I took some Zyrtec so hopefully I'll be back on my feet shortly.

Walk to library with kids
~~Feed/Water kitties~~
~~Clean up kitchen~~
~~Laundry (2 loads, completed!)~~
Clean out Fridge
~~Make Bed~~
~~Daily Bathroom Cleaning~~
Make shopping list for tomorrow
Hot Spot cleaning
Clean out 2 Kitchen Cabinets
~~Shoes/Jackets/Backpacks to proper place~~
Work on memes that I've been tagged on ;)

I need to find a babysitter. I hate trying to find a babysitter. I had the best babysitter ever, but unfortunately she quit a few months ago in favor of a part-time job. My new babysitter is a flake. She's good with the kids, but horrible about returning my phone calls or committing to anything when I ask her well ahead of time. I pay her double what she asked for too! So, I definately need a new sitter, I just don't know where to look. *le sigh* If only I lived closer to family.

Speaking of...One week until my trip to Wisconsin! Me, two kids, and my Buick; PA to WI non-stop 'cept for bathroom breaks. Am I crazy? Yeah. Pretty much.

Mon, 06 Jun 2005 13:41:46 GMT

~~Change sheets~~
~~Mop Kitchen and Bathroom~~
~~15 minute Kitchen Clean~~
~~5 minute Bathroom Clean~~
~~Vacuum all carpets~~
Hot Spots
Organize DS bedroom closet
~~Put away folded laundry~~
Exercise
-walk 1 mile
-floor exercises (pilates) 15 minutes
~~Clean out 2 kitchen cabinets~~
~~Dust ceilings and surfaces upstairs~~
~~Feed/Water kitties~~
Spot clean walls (10 minutes)
Menu planning for the week

Had a fabulous weekend. The kids went camping with DH, and I worked 3rd shift as usual. It was so quiet around the house though that I actually got some sleep, so that was nice. I went out with a friend of mine Saturday night to TGI Friday's. Mmmm spinach & artichoke dip! And then we went to Barnes and Noble. Mmmm books! And then to Starbucks. Mmmm caffine! So it was a pretty awesome day.

I'm a little behind after my weekend of slacking, but nothing serious. Today is my DD last day of school before summer break. Yay for her, nerves for me. Must break the DS and DD of fighting over every little thing before I go completely crazies! Well, hope everyone has a good day. I have some catching up to do. :D